We encourage local families to consider following Bishop’s lead and inviting an international student into their homes.

If individuals are interested in hosting, they may call her at 620-628-4830 or contact International Cultural Exchange Services directly.

Crews work tirelessly to clear roads

Thumbs way up this week to the McPherson city street and McPherson County road crews. While many McPherson area residents were safely bundled up in their homes, these crews were out braving the elements, working in shifts around the clock from Wednesday through Friday morning.

They did a tremendous job and made all our commutes much safer.

Goodson medals, shatters records at state

Congratulations to McPherson High School’s Derick Goodson for an outstanding performance at state swimming Feb. 16.

Goodson, who had broken several team records during the course of the season, broke three more Saturday on his way to the medal podium, picking up a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle and a third-place medal in the 200-yard freestyle.

Goodson swam the 100 free in 47.18 seconds to claim the silver and 1:46.06 in the 200 free for the bronze finish. Both times were personal records and shattered the previous Bullpup team highs Goodson, himself, had set this year.

His third record-setting performance came in the 200-yard freestyle relay alongside Kyler Jost, Ryen Trost and Zane Richter. Goodson swam the lead-off leg in a time of 21.96 seconds, breaking his own record. The relay team, as a whole, took the consolation finals Saturday, swimming the event in a time of 1:35.03.

Thumbs down

Legislature tries to dictate climate education

A bill introduced in the Kansas House would require the state's schools to provide evidence in classrooms questioning the existence of climate change.

The bill comes at the same time the Kansas State Board of Education is preparing to vote on new science standards, which are still being developed.

Regardless of the issue, the Legislature needs to stay out of the business of dictating curriculum to schools. Science education should be dictated be generally accepted theories and principles of a world scientific community not what is politically convenient for a few in the Legislature.